Last Chance for Hertfordshire Businesses to Enter 2018 Rural Business Awards

Rural businesses in Hertfordshire are being encouraged to showcase their work, products and services to the nation at the 2018 Rural Business Awards, which closes for entries on 31st May. At last year's event, Artisan Food Trail in Letchworth Garden City won a Highly Commended Award.

The Rural Business Awards 2018, in partnership with Amazon, will mark the Awards' fourth year of celebrating the success of businesses across the UK's rural economy – a segment which employs in excess of 3.4 million people in over 750,000 businesses in England alone.

"Our aim is to celebrate the incredible and important work being done by rural businesses in Hertfordshire and across the UK and I'd encourage all the local businesses that have been thinking about entering the awards to put themselves forward before May 31st. The 2018 Rural Business Awards will be our biggest and best yet, with 13 different awards up for grabs for rural products, people and services." said Anna Price, Co-Founder, Rural Business Awards.

The awards are organised by rural business for rural business, with winners in the 13 categories - ranging from Best Rural Start-up and Outstanding Rural Diversification Project; through to Best Rural Professional Services Business and Rural Education or Training Business - decided by an independent panel of judges drawn from the rural business sector, rural public sector agencies, and rural charitable organisations.

"At Amazon, we want to help shine a spotlight on the best of rural businesses – small and large alike – and I'd strongly encourage all of Hertfordshire's rural businesses to enter this year's awards," said Doug Gurr, UK Country Manager, Amazon. "Rural businesses are crucial to the UK economy and we want to ensure they are recognised for their success."

For the first time since launching in 2014, the Rural Business Awards will host a series of regional finals in the North, East, Midlands, South East, South West, Wales and Northern Ireland, throughout October 2018, ahead of the Grand Final next February, where winners from each category in every region will be announced.

Details of the Regional Rural Business Award Finals:

· North: 9th October - Last Drop Village, Bolton

· Midlands: 11th October - Eastwood Hall, Nottingham

· Wales & Northern Ireland: 16th October - Kimnel Hotel, Abergele

· South West: 18th October - Bath Racecourse, Bath

· South East: 23rd October - Denbies, Dorking

· East: 25th October - Trinity Park, Ipswich

The Rural Business Awards Grand Final will take place on 28th February 2019. Rural businesses can submit their award entries until 31st May 2018, for any of the 13 categories via: www.ruralbusinessawards.co.uk/enter.